[Pirates] Cannon Damage

Stratics VeteranStratics Legend

Hi I tried to search for this but didn't have much luck. So I was hoping someone could help with this.

I recently got the High Seas expansion and have been trying to figure out things. I finally managed to get some blackpower and cannon supplies made up. I ended up creating my own Alchemist because supplies seem to be hard to find at any price yet along reasonable prices. Still working Alchemy but burned through a ton of Saltpeter making enough powder for about 26 light charges and fuse cords. I picked light cannons because I had a limited amout of ingots available.

I gathered up my supplies including a mixture of grapshot and cannon balls and went in search of a merchant vessel. I found one took out the crew with my archer and decided to practice my cannon firing skill. After going through all 26 charges and a mixture of grapeshot and cannon balls. I managed to damage the ship but it was still not scuttled.

My question is, are light cannons just that useless or was it something I was doing wrong? Also can you scuttle a ship using grapeshot only or is that more of an anti-personel round? Any hints or tricks?

After being frustraded with having to call it quits without being able to get on a merchant ship I decided to buy some ingots from an NPC and make a couple of heavy cannons. For right now I'll probably run a mixture of light and heavy on the deck. Can you smelt cannons or are the light ones I'm replacing just wasted now?

Stratics Veteran

I prefer the heavy cannons and their ammo , "personally", I think the light ones are a waste of time (just sayin) as you need all the fire power you can get!. It will take you approximately 10 hits rotating between the grapeshot and cannonballs to scuttle and gain entry. I usually start out with the grapeshot.

How close to the merchant ship do you need to be to "maximize" cannon damage? How do you "aim" the cannons?
Asking because I've never done it, but plan on doing it in the future... And really want to go after some of the "Orc" pirates that have been harassing my fishermen...

Stratics Veteran

How close to the merchant ship do you need to be to "maximize" cannon damage? How do you "aim" the cannons?
Asking because I've never done it, but plan on doing it in the future... And really want to go after some of the "Orc" pirates that have been harassing my fishermen...

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You can not actually aim the cannons in a specific target area. Best thing to do, or what has worked for me, is pull right up along side the ship you are attacking and try to have the cannon you are firing faced at the middle of their ship. If you have a crew with you, then easier to hit the enemy ship from several areas as more cannons are being fired. If you are attempting this "solo" then make sure all enemies are dead and blast the hell outta the ship till you can enter but be prepared to take a lot of damage to your own ship.

You typically keep pressing the attack, as they will try to move away from you (best to have one or more people attacking with one person doing nothing but manuevering)

It doesn't really matter if they damage your ship as long as you have the supplies to make emergency repairs to get to shore for your carpenter to fix later.

I have come across occasions where pirates are fighting other pirates or merchants, helped take on one, then sank the other one - looting both ships. But, it's something that you really want help for.

you can set up macros for reloading multiple cannon, but you have to keep on your toes - after all, at the HS announcement, Mesanna's predecessor forgot to set god mode on his account on the internal test server, and got pwned by the orcs while setting up the macros - with an audience of about 100 in the room and hundreds on the live feed going out to the net of the demo....

Stratics VeteranStratics Legend

Thanks for all the pointers, I added 3 heavy cannons to my ship and spent last light preparing resources so I'll have to give it another go tonight and see how things go. Will probably start with a merchant ship again since I'm going solo an need to figure out the cannons etc.

Stratics Veteran

I went rum-runner hunting with a guild mate a few weekend ago. He used his dragon (dragon breath) to kill everyone on the ship - then they wouldn't fire cannons back. One the merchants were dead, we scuttled the ship with heavy cannons, and looted away. His ship never took any damage.

I went and tried to solo one with my mage and gave up - those merchants have crazy hit points!

Stratics VeteranStratics Legend

I went rum-runner hunting with a guild mate a few weekend ago. He used his dragon (dragon breath) to kill everyone on the ship - then they wouldn't fire cannons back. One the merchants were dead, we scuttled the ship with heavy cannons, and looted away. His ship never took any damage.

I went and tried to solo one with my mage and gave up - those merchants have crazy hit points!

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The first time I tried a merchant ship I killed them first and then fired on the ship. This worked and I took no damage. When I tried this again last night I they kept trying to evade me so I opened up with two cannon broadside and by the time I managed to pin them to an island they had blown my ship half to smitherines. I managed to stay far enough behind their cannon and pick off the sailors one by one before I scuttled the ship.

From what I've seen I don't think they have crazy HP I think they have crazy resist. I can shoot at them for several minutes with my bow and barely do any damage but If I use Armor Ingnore I can kill them in 3 hits. The hardest part about that is having enough mana.

I did finally manage to loot my first ship. Althought I cost me over 1000 boards and a bunch of cloth to replair my ship afterwards. It's an expensive Hobby but I think I might like being a pirate.

Stratics Veteran

The first time I tried a merchant ship I killed them first and then fired on the ship. This worked and I took no damage. When I tried this again last night I they kept trying to evade me so I opened up with two cannon broadside and by the time I managed to pin them to an island they had blown my ship half to smitherines. I managed to stay far enough behind their cannon and pick off the sailors one by one before I scuttled the ship.

From what I've seen I don't think they have crazy HP I think they have crazy resist. I can shoot at them for several minutes with my bow and barely do any damage but If I use Armor Ingnore I can kill them in 3 hits. The hardest part about that is having enough mana.

I did finally manage to loot my first ship. Althought I cost me over 1000 boards and a bunch of cloth to replair my ship afterwards. It's an expensive Hobby but I think I might like being a pirate.

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Hey Buddy - thanks for the food for thought. I'll have to try some other types of spells and see if they have less resistance to something else. I was just firing off ebolts, and hardly making a dent, or so it felt like.

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